Christmas/Holiday Season 2024

[Moonface]

Christmas is less than a week away, and although I know a few of us already talked about our Christmas shopping in UCT I figured I'd make this thread now since it was roughly the same time I made last years version.

I can't think of much to say right now because I'm still agitated over just spilling my drink all over the floor, but I'll at least say that for at least the third year in a row I have heard zero Mariah Carey on the radio.

[queenzelda]

I've been busy wrapping gifts since yesterday for everyone I got a gift for. I've finished wrapping my mom's gift, my dad's and today I'll be wrapping what I got for my hubby. I just sent out a Christmas card out to my brother and his wife full of holiday cheer: aka Chic-Fil-A gift cards and some cards to use for whatever. 

My husband has just been giving our nephew's cash since their grandparents spoil them rotten with whatever they want. 🤷‍♀️Still, at least at the end of the day we still got something for each other. :3

[Mr EliteL]

I've done the majority of my Xmas shopping which isn't for a lot of people, just got to wait for a few to arrive in the post and buy one or two more things then I'm done.

Will be working everyday up to Christmas Eve where I'm scheduled to finish at 3pm, Christmas Day will be 5 of us, opening presents, looking forward to watching Wallace & Gromit's new feature, and likely a game of Monopoly.
I'm working Boxing Day but not for too long as I want to finish at noon, then back home where my brother and his wife will visit us.

[Maniakkid25]

I had to do some emergency gift buying today because I didn't realize until today the disparity of gifts I got my twin sisters, and I didn't want them accusing me of picking favorites, even in jest.

I've got three days off in a row this Christmas week: the 23rd, 24th, and 25th. So I'm cool with that lol.

[Moonface]

I've got three days off in a row this Christmas week: the 23rd, 24th, and 25th. So I'm cool with that lol.

Dang, I'm surprised you got the two days before Christmas off. I've always been under the impression that practically everyone they can get works on at least Christmas Eve. 

Since @Mr EliteL mentioned his plans for Christmas, for me it'll be a family gathering on Christmas Eve night which I hope doesn't turn into a nightmare because people who are awful with alcohol are bringing, you guessed it, alcohol. Christmas Day is just gonna be me and @ShiraNoMai going to her mum's to open our presents and have breakfast.

[ShiraNoMai]

Yeah, I definitely look forward more to Christmas Day events than Eve; I also have to help out for Eve-day which is fine but it's more work and energy to expend :noooo:

I got all my shopping done around Cyber Week sales, so now I just need to finish wrapping tomorrow and Monday. I chose to repurpose the Amazon boxes I've been receiving as gift boxes, which is something I don't normally wrap (I tend to bag things instead).

Moony and I opted not to decorate in the end, but that's okay. It used to be my only way for me to remember what time of year it is (cuz the weather sure doesn't show it) but now I have the fantastic luxury of Being Online™️where you can never escape the current state of the world at any given time!

[Mr EliteL]

I'm never good at big gatherings, prefer an amount of people you can count on one hand really. Hope this Eve goes well for you both. Also to Maniak for his 3 days off.

Got my presents bought and wrapped in time, so all there is to happen is the day itself and Boxing Day. A part of these two days won't be fun though after something propping up all of a sudden, Boxing Day I have to work but only for 5 hours at least.

[Mr EliteL]

I know it's gotten late where I am, but Merry Christmas to you all.

My day has been fine overall, got mostly food as presents which is my more preferred type recently, as it gets a bit much if everything is some type of possession to keep (or throw away later, ha). Surprisingly my favourite present so far is a box of Lottie Shaw Gingerbread Men as I thought I wasn't going to be able to get some this year since it was sold out in the place I normally get it from.

Other than that though I got an Ultimate Guide to Creating Comics...or some title along the lines of that, and a latest edition of the Collins Scrabble Dictionary. Another present to receive tomorrow.

Watched Wallace & Gromit Vengeance Most Fowl which was the thing I was most looking forward to about Christmas this year, was great although a little disappointed in Fluffles not becoming a recurring character, then again it's been 16 years (oh my) and didn't watch the tv stuff after A Matter of Loaf and Death, which is still my favourite out of the Wallace & Gromit franchise.

[Moonface]

Merry Christmas everyone!
What did everyone do/get?

Here's what I got this year:

• Steam Deck (LCD)
  
• Steam Deck Dock
  
• Automatic Screwdriver
  
• Astro Bot plushie
  
• Ape Escape t-shirt
  
• A shirt from Australia that I don't really know how to describe right now
  
• Goonies hoodie
  
• Goonies hat
  
• A tin of those cookies that come in the blue tin you usually find sewing supplies or grandma's candy in
  
• Cat themed pyjama shorts
  

In the end, along with not even decorating for Christmas, Shira and I didn't even bother to wrap our gifts for each other. We just handed each other the boxes the stuff shipped in and opened them instead.

[ShiraNoMai]

The shirt from Australia in question

I, at least, wrapped the ones for literally everyone else Moony got me a very thoughtful gift that I love: a neck fan! It looks like a pair of headphones that you rest it on your shoulders, but it blows a lovely breeze in its "speakers" instead of music Great for my walks, particularly on days when the breeze outside is scarce and the Sun does it's heating thing.

I'm glad you got mostly consumable stuff, EL, especially for your situation Hoping everything turns out OK in the end for you and your fam, btw

[Mr EliteL]

That's quite a good t-shirt, I like one of the reviews saying that not only do their toddler cousin like it, but their friends like too because of...yeah, them colours man be tripping them up. (OK they didn't say that but I imagined it)

Ooh, I also got some cookies within my consumable gifts, from the local(ish) german market. It's called Lawrence Galerie de Chocolat Royal Cookies, should be one of first things I try/eat out of them.

Ah, a neck fan not bad. Definitely good for over there. I got my sister a shoulder and neck massager.

Yesterday when my brother and his wife visited, we had some nibbles, had a meaningful chat and shared presents. They got me Hellsing Ultimate, something I've been meaning to buy for years but just shoved in my Wishlist as an option for someone to buy me on these types of occasions and it finally got selected. Also Disturbed's latest album Divisive, so I can listen to that and update my tier list, but only until I give a number of listens instead of just one.